Submitted by cshaffer@houston.rr.com
(typed from records provided by surveyors)

Surveyed by Goldsby Goza and Fran Isbel on January 19 and 26, 1980.
COPYRIGHT HIDALGO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Location: North of Expressway 83 in Mercedes, on west side of FM 491
(Baseline Road) where it crosses the main canal.

Surveyed: Goldsby Goza and Fran Isbell on January 19 and 26, 1980.

Perspective: Graves face east. Census began at dirt road in southeast
corner of cemetery, and proceeded left to right (east to west), south to north.
Notes: Miss Refugia (Cuca) Cavazos of Mercedes is in charge of the cemetery
(at date of survey).History: Anacahuitas (wild olive tree) Ranch was
established on the Llano Grande Land Grant given to Captain Juan Jose
Hinojosa of Reynosa (1790). It is located in share 6 allocated to Cipriano
Hinojosa and inherited in 1848 by his daughter-in-law, Gregoria Longoria,
widow of Jose Antonio Hinojosa. Eventually it passed to Jose Domiciano
Cavazos, her son by Lino Cavazos, son of Matias Cavazos and Manuela Hinojosa.
The ranch had 885 varas river front (2471.74 feet) and extended north to
Mile 18. Domiciano Cavazos and his wife Dorotea Zapata built a two-story,
seven room ranchhouse on the north part of the ranch near Anacuitas Lake
(which was just south of where Expressway 83 crosses FM 491 at Mile 7 North
and Baseline Road; it has long since been drained). The ranch headquarters
included land now on Rio Grande Valley Stockshow Grounds, with the family
home where Expressway 83 runs several blocks north of the cemetery.

Domiciano Cavazos farmed and raised cattle and horses which he sold in
New Orleans. Eventually the ranchhouse was sold to an official of the
American Rio Grande Land & Irrigation Company of Mercedes. It was moved
north of the freeway, and later torn down. The farm behind the cemetery
was sold for construction of Baseline Road.

Domiciano Cavazos set aside land for the cemetery in 1906; he died in 1907.
After his death, his widow Dorotea sold the river-front part of the ranch
to Jose Martinez, who worked at the Mercedes Pumping Plant on the river.
She had a surveyor divide the rest of the ranch among her sons Dionisio,
Bernado, Ramon, Manuel and Alfredo. Much of the land was sold and all that
remains now of Anacahuitas Ranch is a small house occupied by Refugia Cavazos
daugher of Jose Dionisio and Teodora Trevino Cavazos, on two acres of land
beside the cemetery, and the cemetery plot where many of the family are
buried.

Source: Interview with Refugia Cavazos done by Goldsby Goza, July, 1988.
Also ARGL&I Chain of Title for the Llano Grande Grant, Shares 4-5-6 done in
1913.